1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate in general to communication in Ethernet. More specifically, the embodiments of the invention relate to a method and a system for the detection of a loop in the physical layer of an Ethernet port.
2. Description of the Background Art
A seven-layer architecture, known as Open System Interconnect (OSI) model, is commonly used for communication in computer networks. The Ethernet is a Local Area Network (LAN) technology that defines wiring and signaling of the physical layer of the OSI model. The Ethernet also defines protocols for Media Access Control (MAC) or the data link layer of the OSI model, and the format for transmitting frames. The physical layer is also known as PHY or layer 1 and the data link layer is known as layer 2.
In the case of a fault, an incorrect configuration or a non-compliant installation, a data packet sent from a computer that is connected to a network may not reach the PHY of a destination computer. Further, the sent data packet may incorrectly revert to the sending computer. Such a situation is referred to as a “loop-back.” The reverting of data packets may overload the CPU of the sending computer, and also result in the loss of data. Further, the reverting may cause problems in the normal operation of other applications executing on the sending computer.
An existing method for detection of loop-back faults is known as a ‘keep-alive mechanism’. The keep-alive mechanism transmits and receives special data. If the sending computer receives the transmitted special packet, a loop-back link fault is declared and transmission of data is stopped. However, the keep-alive mechanism requires layer 2 to transmit frames. Once layer 2 is in communication, other applications on a computer may also use it for transmitting and receiving data. A loop-back may cause problems in the functioning of the other applications. Moreover, the keep-alive mechanism requires a CPU to constantly generate frames to detect a loop-back, which results in the consumption of CPU resources.